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Image is Everything!

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I don’t know why this has been a recurring theme today, but the “Image is everything” is everywhere I look… If you don’t know that phrase you probably aren’t 40-ish.

Background just in case, and for some nostalgia, of a fun time for athletes of the day… In the late 80’s and early 90’s, Andre Agassi and Cannon Cameras teamed up on a very successful advertising campaign featuring Andre with some wicked hair and a new Canon EOS Rebel.

Do a quick image search for Andre and you’ll know that the camera line lasted a lot longer than his hair. Irrelevant, but funny.

Workouts, shoes, and Workout Partners

It started bright and early this morning at the pre-dawn workout… My workout training partner and I were doing some pulldowns and a very large human who works out at [Read more…]

40ish Men vs Women

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Women with 6 pack absI would venture to guess that most 40-ish men fit the common core of America… married with children and long hours in the office.

During our off time we spend time with our children and wives and have very little “me time” – I hate that phrase BTW. Straggle into any gym at 5am and you’ll find the 40-ish man sacrificing sleep to squeeze in some “me time”.

We all know 40-ish women have it easy… right? They are typically not the breadwinners in this generation and have all day to sleep in, do their nails, eat BonBons, drink red wine, and watch Ellen and workout at their leisure.

40-ish women have it easy!

JK! Nothing could be further from the truth!

From my perspective (That Guy), the 40-ish male may have the stresses of providing for a family financially(maybe half, maybe more or less now), and most likely die earlier due to that, but the 40-ish female has that and the additional stress of everything else… not to mention having to deal with the 40-ish male!

I saw this interesting video on male vs female perspective…caution it is PG-13 or maybe R rated.

Thankfully, I am one of the few lucky ones and married the most beautiful, kind, and understanding female on the planet… not to mention the most fit 40-ish female I have ever seen. I wish I had her abs!

Interesting what I find with the two sexes perspectives:

Let’s not forget that if it were up to men, there would be no more children. To put it into perspective, I can’t think of any man who would ever volunteer to pass a grapefruit! I’ll trade all my stress over childbirth any day of the week.

So guys….put your violins up, suck it up and remember how good you have it! And remind your fitty better half of that fact!

40-ish wives… remember we are not that complex beings….food, shelter, sex….that is it!

Here’s to all of us 40-ish humans getting/staying fit. Now let’s see if I can get to my wife’s ab level before the beach in a couple weeks!

Leave a comment below and let me know how right/wrong I am :)

Kiss me, I’m Ironish!

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Today is St. Patrick’s Day. Green, Shamrocks, Parades, Parties, Leprechauns, Celebrations, and Green Beer!

Kiss me, I’m Irish!

That has become the phrase of the day! And St. Patrick’s day has become an international day of celebration of…

St. Patrick's Day Green Beer or WorkoutWell, I have no idea other than it is a really good excuse to get a bunch of people to party and drink green beer.

Now don’t get me wrong, I don’t really need an excuse to drink beer, but I always find it fascinating how people rally around a good beer drinking event.

  • Super Bowl
  • St. Patrick’s Day
  • 4th of July
  • Summer weekends at the lake
  • Anytime at the beach
  • And my personal favorite – New Year’s Eve

Kiss off, I’m Ironish!

What got me thinking about this is several friends wanted [Read more…]

Workout reality check

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My primary workout partner aka ‘That Guy’ is traveling today, or so he says. So I worked out alone today for the first 30 minutes and then our part time partner (ie, shows up a couple times a week) decided to drag his ass out of bed and make an appearance.

I was finishing up with some triceps cable pushdowns so we moved over to the biceps machine for a superset with seated tricep push downs. Note – supersets with only two people is always an effective way to get someone moving who is a talker – they would rather discuss stocks, sports, cars, or anything else that avoids lifting heavy weight consistently – not enough time with this plan! You can thank me later.

New Guy at the GymAnother guy at the gym who just started coming in a couple weeks ago asked if he could work in on the bicep machine. Ugh, new guy :(

5am, very sparse crowd, SERIOUSLY? WTF, but since we were moving fast no big deal. OK.

Then he started critiquing technique. What?

Here’s the deal… We generally have two rules in the gym and sometimes we mix in [Read more…]

The World’s Smallest Violin

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Not sure if they still make these instruments

You have most likely heard the phrase, or perhaps seen someone make a gesture as if they are playing a tiny violin.

Well, I had to pull mine out and tune it up today!

In case you are not 40-ish and are too young to know what I am referring to, here is the standard situation you might use your tiny violin:

You have two people talking and one of them is not at all impressed with the other person’s story and really considers it whining or complaining. The listener begins rubbing his thumb and forefinger together near his ear and often asks “Do you hear that” or “do you know what I am doing? I’m playing the world’s tiniest violin and a sad song for you!”

There is a time for everything. Usually.

No, I am not referring to Ecclesiastes 3 which spells out a time and place for everything… that is for another post.

For the 40-ish crowd, if you don’t read the bible, you might recall Ecclesiastes 3 from Kevin Bacon’s plea to the schoolboard:

The gym is not the time and place to whine and complain about your life to others, especially guys. Even more specifically, your workout partners… No, not even if they are [Read more…]

A Zombie Apocalypse

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5am Gym Rat

A Zombie Apocalypse?

A look inside the daily routine of a 5am gym rat…

  • Wake before any sane person would ever consider possible.
  • Slam an energy drink while driving – in the dark – to the gym.
  • Warm up, work out!
  • Shower, shave and TCB.
  • Arrive at work before most guys leave the house.

That is just the start of the daily routine of those 40-ish year olds who have a never ending desk job, bills to pay, kids in sports…

All while attempting to maintain some glimpse of being an ‘in shape’ guy.

Types of Zombies

Stop by any health club at 5am and you’ll find nothing short of a Zombie Apocalypse.

You’ve got your mindless, burned out 40-ish men.

Some young pups in their 30’s clinging to their youth

And then a handful of [Read more…]